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One of the best events of the year in SW Washington is the Recycled Arts Festival in Vancouver at Esther Short Park. This year’s festival is Saturday, June 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 120 artists will be featured. Here is the ZEST blog post from the 2010 Festival.

Remember, this is recycled text so some of the Web sites previously listed have been removed because they no longer exist. But the Festival will be creative and fun, nonetheless, with LOTS of vendors. See you there!

10 Lessons Learned at the 2010 Recycled Arts Festival

Rebar. Plastic bags. Gasoline cans. Art? This weekend, there were dozens of artists at the Recycled Arts Festival in Vancouver who have transformed the rusted, the plastic and the bound-for-the-landfill into collector’s items. Esther Short Park was lined with more than 80 vendors displaying remarkable reuse talents. Thank you Clark County Environmental Services for a great event! A few lessons stood out:

1. I don’t have to feel guilty about those (now rusty) garden tools I left in the rain.

Rusty tools can create great yard art

2. Plastic bags can become a thing of beauty.

If you can crochet, you can create beautiful bags and rugs from plastic bags

The lilacs are blooming. Wildflowers are coming out in the Gorge trails. Outdoor events like the Hazel Dell Parade of Bands and the World’s Longest Garage are happening. And the wineries are ready to serve you. Celebrate our active corner of Washington State this month! Here are 28 ways to get out there:

May 1-4 – Shadowlands at Magenta Theater – The play based on C.S. Lewis memoir of his life with American poet Joy Gresham is beautifully presented at Magenta Theater in downtown Vancouver. Buy tickets here.

Beautiful grounds at the Hulda Klager gardens

May 1-12 – Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens – Celebrate gorgeously hybridized lilacs at the historic Hulda Klager home in Woodland. Tour the Klager home and smell those lovely flowers. Author Jane Kirkpatrick will be at the gardens on Mother’s Day. Her new novel about Hulda Klager, “Where Lilacs Still Bloom,” will be available for purchase in the gift shop

May 4-5 – Loyalty Days – Ilwaco. Not only does Long Beach have the World’s Longest Garage Sale (see May 24-27 below), it has the “longest consecutively running Loyalty Day celebration in the nation.” The two-day event includes a children’s parade, blessing of the fleet, oyster feed (yum!), grand parade and cowboy breakfast. This event is always the first weekend in May. Saturday schedule here. For Sunday’s schedule, go here.

May 5 – “It Happened at the World’s Fair” – Columbia Theatre, Longview – The Rainy Months Series presents plays for 3 to 9 year olds and their families. Two 6th graders take a trip to Seattle Center. But, after encountering a mysterious elevator operator they step out of the Space Needle elevator and, somehow, it’s the year 1962! Buy tickets here.

Nan Evans

Full Circle

May 11 – Contra in the Couve – Put on your dancing shoes. Vancouver has a contra dance, held on the second Friday of every month at the Hazel Dell Grange, 7509 NE Hazel Dell Ave. Nan Evans will call the dance. Portland/Port Townsend band Full Circle will play with Nan Evans of Port Townsend calling. Lessons at 7:30 pm. Dance 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chelatchie Prairie Train

May 11-12 – Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Steam Mother’s Day Special – Take a ride on the delightful Chelatchie steam train. You’ll travel from Yacolt to Moulton Falls and back. Make your reservation here. Noon and 2:30 p.m.

May 11 – Museum Collection Open House – Fort Vancouver – Explore the lives of fur trade families at Fort Vancouver on the second Saturday in May. Two tours occur during the day: one at noon and 2 p.m. Tours are limited to 15 people. Children over 10 years old are welcome. Register in advance for a Museum Collection Open House tour by calling 816-6255.

Cathlapotle House

May 12 – “The Lewis and Clark Wildflower Discoveries” – The Cathlapotle Plankhouse, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge – The Second Sunday Event Series will be kicking off with a presentation by Joan Hockaday, garden historian. Guided tours of the Plankhouse and children’s activities will be available from 12-4pm. The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a full-scale Chinookan Plankhouse located on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.

Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain

May 14-July 2 – Lady Washington Public Tours and Excursions – Various Columbia River ports. The brig Lady Washington, the Official Ship of Washington State, and the topsail ketch Hawaiian Chieftain will have a seven-week tour of Columbia River ports. Visits include tours, evening sails and three-hour Battle Sails featuring booming cannons, close-quarters maneuvers, and a taste of 18th century maritime life aboard tall ships. Check here for the complete schedule and tickets.

May 17 – Paula Poundstone – Columbia Theatre, Longview – The Boston Globe says, “Poundstone improvises with a crowd like a Jazz musician…swinging in unexpected directions without a plan, without a net.” Buy tickets for the very funny stand-up comedian’s show here.

May 18 – “Trains, Dames and Prohibition” – Centralia – Lots happening on Saturday, May 18 with a special historic walking tour in the downtown Centralia historic district plus feature film showings and a celebration of 100 years at the Centralia Timberland Library.

May 19 – 49th Annual Hazel Dell Parade of Bands, Vancouver – If it’s the third Saturday in May, you can count on a whole lot of music happening in Hazel Dell. Dust off the lawn chairs..The parade route follows Hwy 99 North to 78th St., west to Hazel Dell Ave., south to 63rd St. and back to Hwy 99. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m

May 22 – “Finding David Douglas” – Volcano View and Brews from the Mount St. Helens Institute – Tommy O’s, 8th and Washington, Vancouver. Speaker Lois Leonard and special presentation of the new documentary movie on David Douglas, the intrepid 19th century Scot botanist who trekked through locations in Oregon, Washington, California and British Columbia. Learn about the film here. Happy hour is 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Program is at 6:30 p.m.

May 25-27 – Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Memorial Day Weekend Winery Open House– Wineries in the Columbia Gorge will be offering open houses for Memorial Day Weekend with huge discounts, food pairings, new releases and fun surprises. GorgeWine.com for a list of participating wineries and specials, map and hours. For a wine touring map, click here.

May 24-27 –World’s Longest Garage Sale – For more than 20 years on Memorial Weekend, the garages, yards, patios and other flat surfaces of the Long Beach Peninsula have been filled with treasures for, count ‘em, 28 miles! Get out your most comfortable shoes and lots of dollar bills.

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” Pablo Neruda

Spring is nearly here. The weather is unpredictable, the ground soaked and cold…but our first dandelions suggest that April flowers are soon to bloom. Whether it feels like spring, or not, let’s pretend that it is here…and get out there!

March 1 – First Friday in Camas – Find the Lucky Leprechaun/Go Green Event Start your celebration of St. Patrick’s Day early by finding leprechauns hiding in downtown Camas shops. An cco friendly, Go Green Fashion Show will be hosted by and at Diamonds & Rust Gift Shop on 4th Street next to the Liberty Theater. Molly Malone’s Irish Dancers and more! 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

March 1 – First Friday Artwalk in Downtown Vancouver – Artist KC Madsen will be hosting a reception at Vancouver’s City Hall from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the galleries will have their new exhibits on display. Check out Angst, Aurora, Art on the Boulevard (7th anniversary), Dunbar’s Fine Art and Design Studio (inside the Academy), Gallery 360, Heritage Gallery, North Bank Gallery, Nouspace Gallery, The Hidden Courtyard, Rand Jewelers and Erik Runyan Jewelers. Click here for a printer friendly map

March 1-2, 7-9 – Rent – Clark College – The acclaimed Broadway musical will be performed at Clark College.

March 7-31 (various, specific dates) – Razor Clam Digs – Long Beach Peninsula and other locations- Plan to clam! Go here to read a past ZEST blog post on clamming. For dates and details read the official WDFW announcement. And mind the rules!

March 8 – Ryan Stiles and Friends Night of Improv – Columbia Theatre in Longview – Ryan Stiles of Two and a Half Men and Comedy Central will bring his improv show to the beautiful Columbia Theatre. 8 p.m.

March 16-17 – Vancouver Farmers Market – Hurray! The Vancouver Farmers Market opens on March 16 at Esther Short Park. Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. One of ZEST’s very first blog posts (in 2009!) was about picking out bouquets at the Farmers Market. Check it out here.

March 17 – Girl Rising Special Screening – The new documentary Girl Rising will be shown at Regal City Center 12 in downtown Vancouver IF enough reservations are made by March 10 for the film. Girl Rising is a groundbreaking film, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins, which tells the stories of 9 extraordinary girls from 9 countries, written by 9 celebrated writers and narrated by 9 renowned actresses. Go to http://gathr.us/screening/1470 to view the trailer and reserve your seats for the local showing. 7:30 p.m.

March 18 – Annual Women’s History Month Luncheon at the Clark County Historical Museum in Vancouver. Guest speaker is “Calamity” Jan Pierson, co-author of “Prohibition, Prostitution and Presbyterian Pews.” How could you go wrong with a title like that?! Call (360) 993-5679 to reserve your ticket. 11 a.m. book signing followed by lunch and a talk.

March 29 – 3 Leg Torso in Concert – Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson Sponsored by the Skamania Performing Arts Foundation. Modern chamber pop music from this acclaimed Portland group. Should be a lot of fun! 8 p.m.

March 30 – All Washington State Parks are free today! From the Pacific Ocean through the Gorge, Southwest Washington has many beautiful state parks. Start with this regional parks map and end your month by visiting one of the parks for free!

If nominations were solicited for the happiest store in the area, Kazoodles would be at the top of the list. Filled with “kid-powered toys,” store owners Mary and Bob Sisson bundle fun and education together with high-quality products for children of all ages. They opened the original Kazoodles store in downtown Vancouver in 2006 and later moved to their current location at 13503 SE Mill Plain Blvd in east Vancouver. (Click on the photos for a larger view of the shop.)

Mary, Bob and Luka Sisson

The store is beautifully organized by age and interest. Wise advice for toy selection is readily available.

A store filled with goodies for kids, parents and grandparents

Can we buy a little of everything?

A reading corner offers children’s books and a comfy place to read. Storytimes for pre-schoolers are held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Check the store calendar for other events like “Crafternoons.”

Reading corner

Groovy Girls waiting to be adopted

Fun way to wake up!

Puppets on a Stick

Three-headed dragon

The store Web site offers lots of gift ideas and is organized by age and interest. Another great feature is free gift wrap. Thanks, Bob!

Free gift wrap!

While the store is filled with fun and games, sometimes a shop dog just needs a nap.

Every shop needs a dog or cat

Kazoodles goal is to offer toys that are stimulating, safe, well-made, and most of all, fun. Whether you have toys, games and books on your shopping list, or not, check out this charming store!

February is here. It’s a short month with lots to celebrate – Groundhog Day, the Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake), Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Cherry Pie Day (Feb 20) , even National Tortilla Chip Day (Feb 24 – I’m on it!) among many, many other unique days. Don’t let the dark and rain get you down. Make a pie, preferably cherry! Eat Chinese (or Korean or Vietnamese or Thai and so on) to celebrate the Year of the Snake! Buy a bag of corn chips! And get out there and explore Southwest Washington.

February 1 –A Chocolate and Wine Affair – Downtown Camas will celebrate Valentine’s Day a little early with chocolate, wine (and chocolate martinis) in local shops, restaurants and bars. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

February 1 – First Friday Art Walk – Downtown Vancouver – The galleries will have new exhibits. Restaurants and bars will be open. Don’t miss the glass blowing demonstration at Firehouse Glass at 6th and Main Street. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

February 2 – New Shanghai Circus – Columbia Theatre – Longview – A very special circus is coming to town! The circuses of China are like no other as they combine amazing feats of strength, skill and balance. Extraordinary acts will include Diablo (Chinese Yo-Yo), Bicycle Tricks, Pole Climbing, Plates Spinning, Human Top, Chair Stack and more.

February 8 – VOCA People – Columbia Theatre – Longview – This acclaimed international group features will perform more than 70 a cappella and beat box versions of popular songs.

February 9 – Tet Festival – The Vietnamese Community of Clark County will celebrate the Vietnamese New Year at their annual Tet celebration. Music, carnival games, Lion Dance, Tet food, and more. Noon to 5 pm. Salmon Creek Elementary School in Vancouver.

February 9 – Chinese Rod Puppet Theatre – Clark County Historical Museum – Dragon Art Studio performs traditional Chinese folk tales and other stories with traditional Chinese rod puppets that are hand-crafted by the puppeteers. 2 p.m. All ages will find their performance enchanting. Happy New Year! Celebrate the Year of the Snake!

February 10 – Miss Nelson is Missing! – Columbia Theatre – Longview – Children’s theater for 3-9 year olds and their families. This Rainy Months Series production offers the California Children’s Theater’s musical comedy about a teacher who pretends to be an evil substitute to show that she her students that she is a good teacher.

February 14 – Valentine’s Day Dinner at Niche – Vancouver. Lots of restaurants will be offering special dinners for Valentine’s Day including Niche in downtown Vancouver. Chef David Hickenbottom will prepare a 5-course meal and Niche will offer its popular port tasting plus an evening of wine and dark chocolate pairings for those who want an after-dinner drink or nibble. To reserve your spot at the dinner, call 360-980-8352 or check out your favorite romantic restaurant!

February 15-17 – Washington State Horse Expo – The perfect place for horse people including workshops, exhibitions and “The Extreme Cowboy Race.” Food and live music at the Buckaroo Bash on Saturday night!

February 16-17 – Vancouver Symphony Orchestra – “Love Notes for Melissa” with special guest soprano Carol Walterman. Should be a romantic way to continue the romance of Valentine’s Day. Skyview High School. Music by Barber, Falla and Bizet.

One of the prize-winning wines of Three Brothers Winery

February 16-17 – Valentine’s Wine and Chocolate Tour – Clark County’s many wonderful wineries will celebrate Valentine’s Day with two days of touring and tasting. Check the Web site for the list of wineries and directions. Some wineries may be open on February 15, too.

Labors of love. You can feel that sentiment when you enter the community museums of Southwest Washington. These are the spaces that preserve and celebrate the most local of histories. They tell the stories of early residents, preserve artifacts and traditions, and provide educational resources.

The Appelo Archive Center tells the story of logging and life, with a special focus on the Finnish roots of the Naselle/Gray’s River area. It was founded by local resident Carlton Appelo, 90, who has donated many items from the collection of his family. His father, Carl Arthur (C.A.) Appelo, emigrated to the U.S. from Finland in 1906. He moved to the Deep River, WA area in 1912 and become Deep River Postmaster, a position he held until 1960.

Located on SR 4 in Naselle, about 30 minutes from the Long Beach Peninsula, the museum also serves as a visitor’s center “for those passing through the area needing assistance and a good cup of coffee,” says museum co-founder Karen Bertroch. A new cafe is opening this month in the center.

Karen knows the history of the museum well. “Carlton has always loved history. He has been saving documents, newspapers, books, interviews, research materials, etc for years,” she shares. “The collection was stored in one of the Appelo family’s general stores in Naselle. He has always had the idea of making it available to the public. It was set up as nonprofit in 2005 with the Wahkiakum Community Foundation, then set up as an independent organization in 2010. Now almost 91, Carlton’s memories and life’s work still are an important factor in the Center’s development.”

Site Manager Samanatha Hollo is in the process of scanning the archives extensive and growing photo collection of more than 3,000 photos using PastPerfect museum software. The photos are then filed in binders for easy research and ordering by museum patrons.

Main Floor Lobby

The memorial library has an extensive section where people can research their families including genealogical and cemetery records. The research area includes books, newspapers and oral histories, many of which are transcribed. “Carlton has loved sitting down and talking with people and he always has a tape recorder or video camera going,” says Samantha.

Lobby Exhibit

The Appelo Archive also publishes books about the area including the latest title “When Logging was Logging – One Hundred Years of Big Timber in Southwest Washington.” Other books by local authors plus Pioneer Voices booklets are for sale in the shop. Books and photos can be ordered from the museum’s online store.

Poster for the Center

Along with the expansive photo collection, the diverse collection preserves the local heritage with items like a desk from the original Naselle school, the original switchboard from Deep River and a plethora of logging artifacts.

Local furniture on display

The local telephone switchboard

Logging and store artifacts

Partial view of the research library

One charming exhibit includes dresses from the Appelo family and others including the wedding dress of Agnes Appelo.

Local dresses on exhibit

Finnish ex-patriot costume worn by Americans of Finnish descent

The photo collection documents the rich history of the area.

Deep River Log Dump - Photo courtesy of the Appelo Archive Center

When trees were serious trees! Photo courtesy of the Appelo Archive Center

The power of a local museum is felt in this gem. “The Center has certainly given the community of sense of renewed pride in their heritage of logging, their Finnish tradidtions and awareness of the importance of educating school children about their own local history,” Karen Bertroch reports. The Center sponsors the “Old Timber Loggers Reunion” on the last Saturday in January each year.

That local pride will continue as the Archive Center expands with a cafe, logging displays moved from the second to the first floor and a new exhibit on living through hard times in Washington history (on loan from the State Historical Society), which will be on display July through October 2013.

Driving through Naselle? Don’t miss the Appelo Archive Center! Visit the Web site and Facebook page for the latest information.

WELCOME TO ZEST!

Welcome to Southwest Washington ZEST! Here you will find travel ideas, recreational pursuits, cultural events, interviews with creative locals and more about one of the best areas of the Pacific Northwest.

From the beaches and bays of Pacific County to the forests of Wahkiakum and Skamania, from Cowlitz and Lewis counties and Mount St. Helens, down to Vancouver and the Columbia River, there are amazing places to visit and people to know. Whether you live here or are visiting ZEST from afar, glad you are here.